


Before it’s too late (it’s not)

by tiffanytheweirdo



Category: NCIS
Genre: Confessions, Ellick, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Fix-it, F/M, Feelings, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, post 17x06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:33:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21594619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiffanytheweirdo/pseuds/tiffanytheweirdo
Summary: Ellie is jealous of Nick going on a date and feelings hit her hard. Realising her feelings, she needs to tell Nick before it’s too late.Nick is wondering why Ellie is hurt and jealous. Realising he wants something with Ellie, he needs to tell her it’s not too late.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	Before it’s too late (it’s not)

_“You wanna get some sushi?”_

Ellie asks, with a slight hope that Nick would say yes and keep her company. After all, the whole grand marshalling thingy still kinda stings.

_“Oh I’d— I’d love to but I already got plans”_

Nick stumbles through his words, not ready for Ellie to know about him dating someone.

_“Oh really? You got a hot date?”_

Ellie’s heart skins, putting forward the guess.

_“Something like that”_

Nick curses inside his mind. This is not how he imagined Ellie would find out, at least not so soon.

_“Really? I was... kidding... I didn’t... I didn’t know you’re seeing anyone”_

This time, Ellie is the one stumbles through her words. She is not prepared for this and jealousy is definitely building inside her.

_“It’s just been a few weeks”_

Nick admits, secretly paying attention to Ellie’s reaction.

_“Wow. That’s like six months in Torres years”_

Ellie knows that means Nick is serious. Her heart skins even more, and the jealousy level is not dropping either.

_“You would like her, Bishop. She’s older, mature. I think it may be good for me”_

Nick isn’t sure why he’d said and glances at Ellie and sees something in her eyes, something between hurt and jealousy, that makes him reconsider his action.

_“Wow. How much older?”_

Ellie is honestly curious. She wanna know who is this woman suddenly got Nick into a serious relationship.

_“Does it matter?”_

Nick takes another glance at Ellie and replies nonchalantly. He can tell she is jealous.

_“No.”_

It really doesn’t. Ellie looks sideway to Nick’s facial expression. She wanna know if Nick’s playing with her, joking with her. But Nick looks serious and she can’t see through the facade.

They walks through the navy yard in awkward silence towards the parking lot.

Ellie is deep in her thoughts, reflecting her jealous feelings. Why is she feeling jealous and where is all this coming from? 

Nick, walking along side of Ellie, is also thinking. Why was there jealousy and hurt in Ellie’s eyes just now? And why is he caring about why Ellie might be feeling hurt?

Both of them have a lot of questions in them to realise they are unusually quiet.

When they reach their respective cars, parked right beside each other’s, Nick breaks the silence first.

“Hey Bishop, rain check on that sushi okay?” He offers a tight smile.

“Yeah sure. Enjoy your date” Ellie tries to swallow the bitterness of the words, she is really confused at this point.

“Yeah, thanks. Good night to you too” With a wave, Nick gets into his car and heads to his _“hot date”_.

* * *

Ellie doesn’t really know how she drove home. She’s in a trance and her mind just won’t and can’t stop thinking about Nick.

Is he at the date already? Who is thisolder, maturewoman thatshe would like? If Nick is so serious about this relationship are they gonna get married one day? 

And it shakes Ellie about how much she cares about who is nick seeing. But she still hasn’t get it. She still doesn’t know why.

Until she sees packs of bacon brown sugar chips on her coffee table when she flops down frustratedly onto her couch after changing out of her work clothes.

After Nick accidentally discovered her passion for the snack one time, she’s never out of stock again. He buys her a few packs regularly, brings over a few when he comes to hang out at her apartment, even got some stocked at his.

And their moments suddenly come flashing back to her.

She thinks about how Nick cares for her.

How Nick always spends time at her desk.

How he always protects her out in the field.

How he knows what makes her happy and what drives her crazy.

How he dances for her just to make her smile.

How he calls her nicknames like B or Tater Tots or Babe.

She thinks about their time spent together.

Them speaking Spanish together as their secret language.

Them missing Reeves together and finding comfort in each other.

Them hanging out at each other’s apartment off work.

Them going goat yoga despite Nick always complaining.

Them almost constantly flirting and bantering.

And she thinks about them as partners.

Them making quite a team.

Them taking care of baby Cody together.

Them solving cases together.

Them establishing codes to work in fields.

And she thinks about the kiss they shared as Charlie and Luis.

About how she pulled his arm around her in that bar while spying on their suspect.

About them as partners in life.

And it all clicks.

This man, Nick Torres, is the one for her.

After what she’s been through with her past two relationships, she told herself not to believe in this anymore, not to get hurt anymore.

She keeps shoving down her feelings for Nick, telling herself they are just best friends, good partners at work. She never dares to think there will be more.

But today, hearing about Nick being with another woman, ain't she supposed to be happy for him? But all she feels is jealousy. She can't help but think what if it's her who went on a date with Nick tonight?

Suddenly, she feels fear rising inside her. Is she too late? Nick is with someone now, and he is treating it seriously. Does that mean she missed her chance?

Ellie jumps up from her couch and goes to search for her phone. She needs to tell Nick now, before it's too late.

* * *

Nick drives to where he said he would meet Elena, his date, with Ellie all over his mind. He recalls their conversation in his head over and over again.

Ellie looked hurt when Nick said she’s like a sister to him, and seemed jealous when he said he’s having a date. And he hates seeing her hurting. It makes his heart aches.

And saying that Ellie would like Elena? What was he thinking? Nick frowns and swears when he takes a wrong turn. 

This wrong turn leads him onto a familiar street, the one Ellie is living on. He stops his car in front of Ellie’s apartment building and stares.

Nick looks up to spot Ellie's apartment, soft lights coming out of the window and he imagines.

He imagines Ellie sitting on her couch after changing into comfy flannel and sweat pants, snacking on something chrispy, waiting for take out.

He imagines Ellie reading whatever book she’s into recently on her couch, curled up under the blue throw blanket she loves so much.

He imagines Ellie sketching casually on her sketch pad, tongue sticking out with concentration.

He imagines himself handing whatever snacks Ellie wants each time after she finishes one.

He imagines himself snuggling with Ellie while she reads and him watching TV.

He imagines himself sitting on the other side of the couch, letting Ellie sketch him.

He imagines himself spending the night in Ellie’s apartment, them sharing a bed and each other’s warmth.

He imagines himself moving across the apartment with familiarity, given the time he had spent there.

He imagines himself falling asleep and waking up next to Ellie.

He imagines himself living with Ellie.

And it hits him.

It all makes sense now. Him caring about how Ellie looked hurt, him being unsure about telling Ellie about his date, him worrying about how Ellie would react.

It’s all because he cares about Ellie a lot, and he wanna be with her. 

His phone vibrates as a text comes in and this pulls Nick out of his thoughts.

It's Elena, asking if he's on his way.

He takes a deep breath and sends a text telling Elena that he couldn’t be there and that he owes her an explanation before starting the car and driving to the nearest sushi place.

* * *

Nick is about to knock on Ellie’s door when his phone rings, it’s Ellie.

“I need to talk to you”

“Open the door then”

Ellie opens the door with her phone still pressed to her ear, surprised to see Nick on the other side.

“Can we do the rain check now?” Nick asks sheepishly, raising the bag of take out in his hand.

Ellie nods and steps aside to let Nick in. She is still shocked by him showing up.

The two settle on the couch with their plate of sushi moments later, silence hanging between them.

Ellie is the one who asks first.

“So your date?” She holds her breath waiting for Nick to answer.

“I cancelled it” Nick stops eating and looks up.

And their eyes meet. Suddenly all the things beside them just seem to vanish. All they can see is each other.

“Look Ellie...” Nick tries to start but Ellie stops him by moving closer to him after placing her plate on the coffee table. Doing the same with Nick’s, she takes Nick’s now empty hands into hers.

“Please Nick, let me” Ellie says in a small voice, feeling vulnerable. She is about to open up to the man in front of her and it’s all or nothing to her.

Nick nods, moving his hands so he is intertwining his fingers with Ellie’s and squeezing them encouragingly.

“I’ve been thinking a lot, Nick, about you... about us. After... after what had happened with my past relationships, I told myself not to believe in this anymore so I won’t get hurt anymore. But you came along and you give me feelings that I’m so scared of having again” Ellie pauses to swallow the lump in her throat and wills herself not to break down right now cause she needs to tell Nick.

Nick moves closer to Ellie, their knees touching, and looks into her eyes with all the love and support he can convey with his eyes. He waits patiently for Ellie to continue.

“And today when you said you’re seeing someone and it sounded so serious, this makes me feel jealous and I didn’t get it at first, I didn’t know why I was feeling that why but you know what gave me the answer?” Ellie chuckles, lips tugging upwards to form the small smile Nick doesn’t know he love so much.

“What is it?” Nick shakes his head and asks.

“Bacon brown sugar chips” Ellie answers and chuckles more.

Nick laughs along and shakes his head fondly before replying “of course”.

“It reminded me of you, and all the time we spent together, work or outside work. And it made me see how much I want a life with you, Nick. I like you a lot Nick and I think I’m in love with you too. I hope I wasn’t too late to tell you this” Ellie ends with a shaky sigh.

Listening to Ellie’s heartfelt confession, Nick’s heart swells and aches at the same time. It swells because he thinks he’s in love with her too and aches for how small and scared the usually-confident Ellie looks right now.

Seeing a tear rolling down Ellie’s cheek, Nick moves one hand to cup her face and wipe it away with the pad of his thumb gently.

Ellie doesn’t know she’s crying until she feels Nick’s warm palm on her. She looks through the cloud of her tears into Nick’s eyes, seeing only adoration.

“You are so brave telling me all this Ellie Bishop, and you’re not too late I promise you.” Nick starts, hand still softly holding the side of Ellie’s head, “I made a wrong turn on the way to where I was going just now and ended up on your street. And all I could think of, sitting in my car and looking at your apartment building, is you El. About what you’re doing and about me being there with you too. I care about you a lot, Ellie, and I didn’t realise until just nowhow much I wanna be with you”

Ellie is full-on crying now, she lurches forward into Nick, who catches her with steady hands.

“I got you Ellie” Nick whispers and presses a kiss onto the top of Ellie’s head.

Ellie pulls back after a while, cries turned into occasional hiccups. She wipes her face with her sleeve as heat flashing through her face, feeling embarrassed.

Nick chuckles at Ellie’s sudden shyness and tilts her head up with a finger under her chin.

Holding her face between his palms, Nick says while looking right into Ellie’s eyes

“I think I’m in love with you too, Eleanor Bishop”

And when Ellie leans in to kiss Nick on his lips, all the fear inside her vanishes into nothing.

All she can feel now is Nick’s soft lips on her and his strong arms around her.

All she can feel is love.


End file.
